Secrets on Cultivating Mind ➀

We have now entered Ango “Peaceful Dwelling” of Fall 2012 – a 3 month period devoted to deepening practice. During this time, we are studying the following Text by Korean Zen Master Chinul; “Secrets of Cultivating Mind” from the book Tracing Back the Radiance & the following Dharma Talks have been recorded from Rev. Rinsen Weik during our Ango training Period.

Secrets on Cultivating Mind
– by Chinul, Tracing Back the Radiance Section 1

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If people aspire to the path of buddhahood while obstinately holding to their feeling that the Buddha is outside the mind or the Dharma is outside nature, then—even though they pass through kalpas as numerous as dust motes, burning their bodies, charring their arms, crushing their bones, and exposing their marrow; even though they write sutras in their own blood, never lying down to sleep, eating only one offering a day in the early morning; or even though they study the entire Tripitaka and cultivate all sorts of ascetic practices—this is like trying to make rice by boiling sand: it will only add to their tribulation.

If you would understand your own mind, then without searching, approaches to the Dharma as numerous as the sands of Ganges would all be understood. As the World-Honored One said, “I see that all sentient beings everywhere are endowed with a tathagatha’s wisdom and virtue.” He also said, “All the illusory guises in which sentient beings appear take shape in the sublime mind of the Tathagatha’s complete enlightenment.” Consequently, you should know that outside this mind there is no buddhahood which can be attained. All the buddhas of the past were merely persons who understood their minds. All the sages and saints of the present are likewise merely persons who have cultivated their minds. All future meditators should rely on this dharma as well. I hope you who cultivate the path will never search outside. The nature of the mind is unstained; it is originally whole and complete in itself. If you will only leave behind false conditioning, you will be “such”
—like the Buddha.